


Happy Christmas

by cant



Category: None - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:01:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29728038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cant/pseuds/cant
Summary: It’s Christmas and 18 is worried





	Happy Christmas

Tera never worried that he’d taken too many sleeping pills, but she did wonder why her boyfriend passed out for weird amounts of time seemingly unrelated to the pills he took. He’d been asleep since one in the afternoon the day before, Christmas eve, and hadn’t moved since then. 

“Puppy?” she whispered, nudging his side. 

18 finally shifted, but only to turn over and fall back asleep. 

“Puppy, come on, Jade wants to open her presents.” 

Jade stumbled into the room, excited out of her mind, tiny hands tugging at her little dress the same way her father’s tugged at his shirt. Nervously, seeing her Dad asleep, she hopped around in the doorway. “Mom, is he sick?” 

Tera smiled at her, though she didn’t know the answer. 

With a groan, 18 shifted until he was awake and blinking in confusion at his girlfriend standing beside the bed. “What-“ 

“It’s Christmas,” Jade squeaked, running up to launch herself onto the bed. 

“Huh?” 

“Mom, why don’t we do anything for Christmas?” Jared asked, reluctantly coming to sit by her. 

18’s head rested on his mother’s lap, eyes unfocussed and staring into the distance. Long nails and spidery fingers gently drew lines through his hair and brushed it from his face, very softly. Tera was better at it, but Crystal was practised. She knew what made her boy turn to mush in her hands. 

“Darling, we have better things to do. Christmas is Thursday this week, so I have to go. Marcus has to do me some errands and you’ll do the same.” 

Jared didn’t say anything, unsatisfied with that explanation. 18 was drifting off, his mother’s gentle brushing of his scalp rhythmic enough to send him to sleep. Finally. It had been more than 24 hours this time - he’d been so worried about Tera that it had kept him up all night. Not even when Crystal’s free hand dipped to slide over his chest, still strangely affectionate, did he react. His body was too heavy. 

“My sleepy boy,” she whispered, sickly sweet, running her palm over his shoulder and down his arm, leaving goosebumps in her wake. Not the kind Tera left. 18 tried to swallow the rising vomit feeling. “It’s too cold outside. You boys stay in, okay?” 

“Yes, Mom,” Jared instantly agreed, venom in his voice. 

18 couldn’t move. Crystal didn’t take that as an answer. “Marcus, sweetie? You gonna stay in for your Mommy?” 

18 could have sworn he conceded and nodded, but Crystal still wasn’t happy. She pulled his hair until he was looking up at her, awkwardly twisted and blinking in sudden pain. The light on her face made her look like a skull. 

“No running off, sweetie. Clear?” 

“Mhm,” he forced out, feeling a tear or two form. He was too weak, too small. “Mommy, please-“ 

She let him go and stood, not waiting for him to get up or find his balance. “I find either of you two disobeyed me or had any friends round, you’re done.” 

Jared and Marcus knew what that meant. She’d threatened to kick them out before. 

18 glanced across the table at his brother. Jared caught his eye and, for a strange second, he could have sworn they were remembering the same thing.


End file.
